The National Border Patrol Council was recently notified that as recently as July 9, 2014, illegal aliens, who had been processed by Border Patrol agents in the Laredo Sector, were released with an I-862, Notice to Appear, and used that document as identification to board commercial aircraft at Laredo International Airport.

Border Patrol agents witnessed illegal aliens present the I-862s to Transportation Security Administration officers, who accepted the form, and cleared the illegal aliens through a security checkpoint. The Border Patrol agents notified the TSA officers that the I-862 is not a government issued form of identification. The TSA officer then notified a supervisor, who reviewed the documents, made copies, and told the Border Patrol agents that because the documents were issued by the Border Patrol that TSA was willing to accept them. Another supervisor looked over the documents and said they were going to forward them to their national headquarters for guidance.

Subsequent inquiries made by National Border Patrol Council representatives indicate that TSA in Laredo has been accepting these documents as valid identification to travel for several weeks. The I-862 is issued as part of an illegal alien's case file, contains no photograph, and has no security measures to prevent forgery or alterations. It does not positively identify an individual and could be reproduced on the most basic of home computers.

We stand behind the statements of Border Patrol agents and are confident that surveillance from the Laredo Airport will support these assertions. Any thorough investigation will show that TSA officers and supervisors were aware that the individuals were illegal aliens, had no valid identification, and were still cleared to fly. Our members, federal law enforcement agents, are willing to give sworn testimony as to what they witnessed.